Feed the fish, and he will score. For so long this season, Partick Thistle fans singing such a song about Conor Sammon would have been doing so with their tongue firmly lodged in their cheeks. But not now.
A double from the Thistle forward was enough to get the Premiership side off the hook against the stubborn resistance of a Queen of the South side who had given as good as they got at Palmerston, only to contribute to their own downfall late on in the game. For them, this was the one that got away.
There are no such worries for Sammon, who now has three goals in his last two games, after scoring just once in his first 18 appearances for the Firhill side.
“You saw in this game he was a handful and delighted he got his goals,” said his delighted manager, Alan Archibald.
“He was really good in the game we played in Marbella too and he’s carried on his form.”
Many had earmarked this game as having shock potential written all over it, a fact not lost on Archibald.
"There is always relief," he said. "It’s never easy. The first thing I said to the players was well done because they’d got through a cup tie. We were tipped as a team that could fall and Queens are a good side.
"They have good quality in their side so I was delighted to get through."
Myles Beerman made his first start here for Queen of the South following his loan move from Rangers, while Partick Thistle captain Abdul Osman and Callum Booth made their long-awaited return from long-term injury for the visitors. Booth was particularly impressive, showing remarkable fitness to get up and down the left all afternoon despite his lengthy absence from competitive action.
Chances were exchanged fleetingly throughout a scrappy first half, with Queens just shading the encounter.
Dobbie had been earmarked as the home side’s dangerman by Thistle boss Archibald, and he showed fleeting glimpses of his talent, dropping a shoulder as we approached the interval to give himself a yard to test Cerny and earn a corner. From the delivery though, it would be the visitors who would break up the park and open the scoring.
Stevie Lawless and Chris Erksine were the architects, playing a neat one-two on the edge of the area before Lawless poked the ball through towards Sammon, who did well to hold of the challenge of Callum Fordyce and slot the ball into the bottom corner.
The home side were level 10 minutes after the break though, benefitting from a slice of fortune as Keown slid in on Fergusson inside the area, only for the ball to ricochet off the forward’s shins and rocket past Cerny into the top corner.
It may have been fortunate, but it was no more than the youngster deserved on his debut for his hometown club for a performance full of endeavour, and no more than the Doonhamers deserved for their collective showing.
Thistle tried to hit back, and Blair Spittal brought out a fine save from Martin with a rasping 25-yard effort, before the excellent Shaun Rooney was unlucky with a header that dropped wide at the other end.
The Premiership side did get the all-important goal though with a little under 10 minutes to go, and it was the last man in blue that you would have expected to offer up the goal on a plate, as the vastly experienced John Rankin made a hash of a header in his own box to present the ball to Sammon. The forward had time to turn and get a shot away that took at least one deflection on its way to outfoxing Martin and nestling into the back of the net.
So, instead of being the shock-troops that so many believed they might be, Queens were cast in the role as gallant losers. But there was plenty in this performance to provide succour despite their exit from the cup.
“That’s the best we’ve played for a few weeks and I feel for the players given we got nothing out the game,” said assistant manager Dougie Anderson.
“There wasn’t a lot in it. We had more chances, but we’re disappointed with the goals we lost.”
QUEEN OF THE SOUTH
Scorers: Fergusson (55’)
Booked: Dykes (51’)
PARTICK THISTLE
Scorers: Sammon (42’, 81’)
Booked: McGinn (68’)
Referee: Willie Collum
Attendance: 2338
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